After being sentenced to death on the charge of espionage, Pakistani authorities will now put alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav on trial on terrorism and sabotage charges.
A report published in Dawn quoted an unnamed official as saying that Pakistan has sought repeated access to 13 Indian officials to ascertain information in the Jadhav case but India has remained uncooperative. He said Mr. Jadhav had multiple cases against him in which he had been indicted on terror and sabotage related charges and those cases are progressing. He did not say if a new trial will be held by a military tribunal or civilian anti-terrorism court.
Mr. Jadhav was arrested from the Balochistan province in 2016. He was awarded death penalty by a military tribunal last year and his appeal is pending with military chief General Javed Qamar Bajwa. Pakistan claims that Mr. Jadhav was a serving Indian Navy official recruited by R&AW to supervise terrorist activities in Balochistan and Karachi. India on the other hand claimed that Mr. Jadhav was a retired Naval official doing business in Iran's Cha Bahar port.
International Court of Justice had stayed Mr. Jadhav's execution after India approached ICJ claiming Pakistan has violated international conventions by denying consular access to Mr. Jadhav.
Mr. Jadhav was captured on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan. In April last year he was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) after being found guilty of espionage under Section 59 of Pakistan Army Act (PAA) 1952 and Section 3 of Official Secret Act of 1923.
Pakistan on December 25 arranged a meeting between Mr. Jadhav and his mother and wife . The meeting perceived as a goodwill gesture ended in a diplomatic spat between the two countries over the strict security checks of his mother and wife underwent.
Pakistani authorities believe that a conviction for Mr. Jadhav on terrorism will cement its case in ICJ.
